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tasting notes from the north

White Bordeaux – Château La Louvière 2008

Dry white Bordeaux is such an underappreciated wine (at least here in Sweden). In the 90s we saw loads of indifferent (really bad) cheap wines that had Bordeaux written on the label – but they just tasted like shit. But we also saw are fare share of the good stuff – the marvellous wines of Pessac-Leognan!

Nowadays I seldom taste or read about other people who’ve tasted great white Bordeaux in Sweden. I count just 12 wines in the category at the Swedish wine monopoly – and only half of those are worth mentioning.

The top Châteaus are of course still doing their thing and and the wines are great. I just love that complex combination of Sauvignon Blancs great acidity and minerality and Sémillons more mellow and deep fruit flavours. Add the kiss of new oak that gives it all a smoky gun-powdery finish and you got yourself a winner.

André Lurtons Château la Louvière is a long time swedish favourite. I was impressed by the wines already back in the 90s when I was working in one of the wine and spirits monoply wine shops in Lund. Prices has of course gone up since then but Château la Louvière is till a great wine – and made with Denis Dubourdieu as consultant.

The wine is made up by 85 percent Sauvignon Blanc and 15 percent Sémillon that were hand harvested. It gets 12 months on french oak (50 precent new) with lees contact and battonage.

The 2008 Château La Louvière is pale straw coloured wine with a bit closed smokey/gunpowdery nose with hints of green fruits (green apples) and oak. The taset is very fresh – light to medium bodied – with elements of citrus, honey, toasted oak and butter. Beautifully well balanced with a powerful an lively finish. 4/5 points